禁漫天堂

Good day,
Hello everyone! My name is Kurt, I'm moving to Vietnam (Da Nang to start). We are so excited! I was hoping to hear from anyone having shipped their personal goods by sea, from Port of Long Beach or Los Angeles to Vietnam. I would be grateful for contact info, but would be just as grateful for only the name of any freight forwarders that serve Vietnam, and I will research myself. Thanking all in advance for your kindness!
Cheers,
Kurt - @Skydive2063

Hi Kurt, and welcome to the Vi峄噒 Nam forum 馃檹

I personally use this company in Little Saigon for all of my private courier (accompanied baggage) needs:

HU THUI CARGO

8105 Westminster Blvd.

Westminster, CA 92683

(phone number on Google Maps profile)

huthuiDOTcom/english-version

They handle all levels of private courier service as well as freight forwarding.

The subject of shipping household goods to Vietnam hasn't been discussed much in the forum since before COVID, but experience tells us that most people planning to move to Vietnam aren't aware of some key laws that will affect your ability to legally bring what you need here.

We get a lot of casual readers (lurkers) so I apologize if you already know this information, but for their sake I am going to go over a few highlights:

1. The law in Vietnam regarding the shipment of household goods only applies to people who are moving here with confirmed employment, or who have recently secured legal employment in Vietnam.

There is a certain period of time within which you would be authorized to IMPORT your household goods into Vietnam under the law, and it's best to do that through your legitimate employer in Vietnam.

I believe that the law gives you 6 months from the time of employment to ship your household goods into Vietnam under the permissive restrictions of the law that do not apply to the casual person wanting to import personal goods here.

I'm happy to be corrected if that's not exactly right.

2. If you are a digital nomad looking to move here and you don't have legal employment with a company in Vietnam, then you would only be eligible for tourist status, using 90 day tourist visas which require leaving and reentering the country every 90 days, without exception.

Keep in mind that on a tourist visa you are absolutely not allowed to generate any income within Vietnam through employment or business enterprises.

In such a case you are going to be limited to what you can bring into the country as ACCOMPANIED baggage on your flight (luggage and excess baggage that is being shipped on the same plane you are taking to Vietnam).

Even then you will be subject to certain restrictions regarding the IMPORT of personal property into Vietnam.

Even if you are moving here with a 6-month Visa Exemption Certificate (VEC) based on Vietnamese heritage, you will still be considered a tourist under the law and not eligible for authorized household goods shipment.

3. If a person is not eligible for a household good shipment and wants to send items to Vietnam through UNACCOMPANIED baggage, there are basically three ways to do that:

A. Through the postal service of your native country. That can be somewhat restrictive because most countries including the United States (USPS) will honor the laws of Vietnam and not allow certain items to be shipped through them.

B. Through one of the private international postal/shipping companies such as DHL (preferred), UPS, FedEx, etc. who also strictly follow the importation laws of Vietnam.

C. You can attempt to send household goods through a freight forwarding company, but without the government authorization necessary for household goods importation, that can be quite difficult.

4. THE BEST OPTION for sending anything and everything legal to Vietnam is to use a PRIVATE COURIER company (such as HU THUI CARGO) because private couriers bring your shipment into the country as ACCOMPANIED baggage and avoid a lot of hiccups through their longstanding relationships with the Vietnam customs services.

If you use them as a freight forwarding service, then your shipment will definitely be considered as unaccompanied goods subject to the more rigid import laws of Vietnam.

For instance, a used computer cannot legally be imported into Vietnam, but you can bring a used computer into Vietnam in your accompanied baggage.

So if you are not on the flight but you need to ship something otherwise restricted into Vietnam, you can usually聽 (not always) get the private courier company to get it into the country for you as ACCOMPANIED baggage.

If possible I'll find the previous discussion thread that took a deep dive into this subject and includes a lot of feedback from people who have actually legally moved authorized household goods here in connection with their legal employment; I'll take a look.

Good luck with your plans!

O.B.

A previous discussion thread with good info:

/en/forum/asia/vietnam/ho-chi-minh-city/808338-household-storage-facility-in-hcm.html

@Skydive2063

Hello Kurt.

Out of curiosity, I must ask. Are you moving here solo, or accompanied?

Your stating, "...I'm moving to Vietnam (Da Nang to start). We are so excited!", is rather ambiguous馃槉

I second what OB said about the timeframe your "allowed" to legally ship stuff with the right visa and dont listen to what others say about "oh its ok you can ship no problem". Im on a VEC which does NOT give you the right to work and thought I could have some of my stuff shipped here. Just small stuff. I never saw it again. I could have gotten it with a heafty fee that was more than the value of my stuff but wasnt worth it. Not sure if it was a fee or just to pay off the customs guy. At the time I didnt know the rules. I go back to the US once a year for the holidays and just grab as much as I can every year.

@OceanBeach92107

Wow! What a wealth of information! I was only going to bring maybe one pallet, but this makes it a very easy decision! I'm coming with my bags and no more! Thank you so much for the prompt response and best wishes to you!

@Aidan in HCMC

My Mexican girlfriend is mixed between being excited and being terrified, LOL I have traveled the globe, but although she is a big city girl (Mexico City), this is a huge change for her. So, so far it is two........................

@OceanBeach92107
Wow! What a wealth of information! I was only going to bring maybe one pallet, but this makes it a very easy decision! I'm coming with my bags and no more! Thank you so much for the prompt response and best wishes to you! - @Skydive2063

I usually don't get thanked for talking too much so you're quite welcome 馃檹

In that situation, you can refer to a comment by our former Vietnam expert @Ciambella in the other thread I shared.

She talks about paying a little over $100 when she moves.

She's talking about excess accompanied baggage fees.

So let's say you have a baggage allowance of two pieces.

You also pack up a big shipping box and bring that along and pay the excess fee.

Because it's on the plane with you it's treated as accompanied baggage and much less restrictive about what can be included.

@Aidan in HCMC
My Mexican girlfriend is mixed between being excited and being terrified, LOL I have traveled the globe, but although she is a big city girl (Mexico City), this is a huge change for her. So, so far it is two........................ - @Skydive2063

Be honest with her. it's going to be difficult for any couple who moves here if one of them is not somewhat fluent in the Vietnamese language.

if you have a somewhat traditional relationship, it should be a top priority for her and you as well to develop some close relationships with Vietnamese people who speak enough English that they can be key parts of your support system.

One of the easiest ways to start this when you get here is to immediately get involved in language sharing groups.

otherwise your Vietnamese friends will be limited to your driver and your landlord and your agent who will all be very nice to you but won't really be friends apart from the business relationship.

I say that even though I feel very friendly with some of the drivers who've worked for me and the agents I've known and the landlords I've had.

I recognize that they are not quite so much my friends as people who have zero business interest in me.

@OceanBeach92107

I would assume based on your description that a marriage TRC (tt) would not give me the appropriate clearance for a HHG's shipment via a forwarder? Thanks in advance O.B.

Some of my items include left handed guitars which adds a whole other difficulty to the situation.

Thanks

Mike

@OceanBeach92107


I would assume based on your description that a marriage TRC (tt) would not give me the appropriate clearance for a HHG's shipment via a forwarder? Thanks in advance O.B.
Some of my items include left handed guitars which adds a whole other difficulty to the situation.
Thanks
Mike - @MikeTVN

To give you an absolutely definitive answer I would need to run an AI search to confirm my belief that a marriage (not necessarily the associated TRC) isn't a qualifying event.

So I'm just going to say that I'm pretty sure you are correct and marriage in and of itself does not qualify a person to do an authorized shipment of household goods.

I'm happy to be corrected by anyone who can dig up the applicable regulations, but the best advice I can give is to ship your guitars on the plane with you as excess accompanied baggage.

The shipping company I've already mentioned a couple of times would probably know for sure.

@OceanBeach92107


I would assume based on your description that a marriage TRC (tt) would not give me the appropriate clearance for a HHG's shipment via a forwarder? Thanks in advance O.B.
Some of my items include left handed guitars which adds a whole other difficulty to the situation.
Thanks
Mike - @MikeTVN
To give you an absolutely definitive answer I would need to run an AI search to confirm my belief that a marriage (not necessarily the associated TRC) isn't a qualifying event.
So I'm just going to say that I'm pretty sure you are correct and marriage in and of itself does not qualify a person to do an authorized shipment of household goods.

I'm happy to be corrected by anyone who can dig up the applicable regulations, but the best advice I can give is to ship your guitars on the plane with you as excess accompanied baggage.

The shipping company I've already mentioned a couple of times would probably know for sure. - @OceanBeach92107

Thanks OB and any one else that can add to the conversation. I will contact HU THUI CARGO even though I'd be shipping from Florida. I've been talking to AIR 7 SEAS Transport Logistics Inc and they talked like it would all get through customs but that's a salesman from the company so who knows. I'd prefer actual experience.

With this in mind added to what Ciambella said (bring it on the plane or leave it behind....summarizing) from the other post is all weighing on my decision to stay or go back to the US.

The guitars on a plane and the way things get thrown around is a bit of a scary notion. Plus the fact my trip back would be just to pick those up. So quite an expense it would turn out to be for shipping cost.

I'll have to search for another appropriate post, but my TRC (1rst) renewal which I thought would be for 5 years turned out to be for only 2 years and of course the DL then as well. It鈥檚 pretty disappointing on top of the rest when I鈥檓 looking to live here. Sorry for the sob story..... Mike

I'll have to search for another appropriate post, but my TRC (1rst) renewal which I thought would be for 5 years turned out to be for only 2 years and of course the DL then as well. It鈥檚 pretty disappointing on top of the rest when I鈥檓 looking to live here. Sorry for the sob story..... Mike - @MikeTVN

Unfortunately, it appears you renewed in B脿 R峄媋鈥揤农ng T脿u Province...?

They (BR/VT provincial authorities) have been limiting spousal TRCs to 2 years ever since I first became active in the forum in 2018聽 (and apparently long before that, according to old timers).

It's the main reason that I always qualify answers about TRCs (in any province} by saying that provincial authorities may have unique requirements that are not necessarily observed Nationwide.

No help to you now, but under the new national realignment of provinces, BR/VT is no longer going be a standalone province; they are being merged into HCMC.

No more discrimination against foreign spouses in V农ng T脿u, hopefully.

I'll have to search for another appropriate post, but my TRC (1rst) renewal which I thought would be for 5 years turned out to be for only 2 years and of course the DL then as well. It鈥檚 pretty disappointing on top of the rest when I鈥檓 looking to live here. Sorry for the sob story..... Mike - @MikeTVN Unfortunately, it appears you renewed in B脿 R峄媋鈥揤农ng T脿u Province...?They (BR/VT provincial authorities) have been limiting spousal TRCs to 2 years ever since I first became active in the forum in 2018 (and apparently long before that, according to old timers). It's the main reason that I always qualify answers about TRCs (in any province} by saying that provincial authorities may have unique requirements that are not necessarily observed Nationwide. No help to you now, but under the new national realignment of provinces, BR/VT is no longer going be a standalone province; they are being merged into HCMC. No more discrimination against foreign spouses in V农ng T脿u, hopefully. - @OceanBeach92107

Good to know. But actually it was done in Quang Binh Province because they wouldn't qualify my wife as being as resident here in VT. They consider our apt building a hotel even though 95% of the residents here are apt rentals by the month or more. So it should be 3 years or 5 years then?

I'll have to search for another appropriate post, but my TRC (1rst) renewal which I thought would be for 5 years turned out to be for only 2 years and of course the DL then as well. It鈥檚 pretty disappointing on top of the rest when I鈥檓 looking to live here. Sorry for the sob story..... Mike - @MikeTVN Unfortunately, it appears you renewed in B脿 R峄媋鈥揤农ng T脿u Province...?They (BR/VT provincial authorities) have been limiting spousal TRCs to 2 years ever since I first became active in the forum in 2018 (and apparently long before that, according to old timers). It's the main reason that I always qualify answers about TRCs (in any province} by saying that provincial authorities may have unique requirements that are not necessarily observed Nationwide. No help to you now, but under the new national realignment of provinces, BR/VT is no longer going be a standalone province; they are being merged into HCMC. No more discrimination against foreign spouses in V农ng T脿u, hopefully.聽 - @OceanBeach92107
Good to know. But actually it was done in Quang Binh Province because they wouldn't qualify my wife as being as resident here in VT. They consider our apt building a hotel even though 95% of the residents here are apt rentals by the month or more. So it should be 3 years or 5 years then? - @MikeTVN

Hard to affirm the words "should be" for anything in Vietnam.

It is what it is (an answer that usually sucks).

Who knows why they will only approve for a lesser amount of time, but my best guess is that in certain provinces they want to discourage more "mixed marriages" (BR/VT has always been a major draw for foreign retirees who then want to marry a local and stay longer).

Then there is what we don't know about our wives.

There could be anything in the history of the Vietnamese wife that might cause the approving authority to not want to provide the full three or five years.

Nobody ever knows for sure.

At the "end of COVID restrictions here" (Spring, 2022) a long time friend in Quy Nh啤n got married and attempted to get a TRC in B矛nh 膼峄媙h province, but was only allowed a 6-month TT visa.

At that point, new spousal TRCs were only being approved in HCMC or H脿 N峄檌.

My marriage was a month after his and Qu岷�ng Ng茫i province wouldn't even give me a TT visa.

We were both directed to physically go to H脿 N峄檌 to apply for our TRCs because "H脿 N峄檌 has 'ownership' of our two provinces.

We each went there at about the same time and we both had 3 year TRCs (TT) approved.

The government of Vietnam is not nearly as monolithic as one might assume, and foreigners don't necessarily behave in similar manners in different regions of the country.

During COVID (6-2021) I couldn't get an extension of my business visa because I last entered the country on a new visa in H脿 N峄檌, but there were a number of people here in the forum who continued to receive business visa extensions because their previous visa was issued in HCMC.

Yet these days it seems that the demand for spousal visas is exponentially higher in HCMC and now the provinces of the South seem to be cracking down on spousal TRCs for foreigners marrying Vietnamese citizens.

This answer probably seems to be TMI and very scattered, but I'm just trying to touch on what I know about the inconsistencies of the approval process from time to time and place to place.

@OceanBeach92107

Thanks, OB! I really appreciate your insight and personal touch, especially since Ciambella is no longer posting. I look forward to your experienced wisdom, Sir!聽 馃槉